Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. So far. Okay. Do we anticipate that there will be votes on Friday or into the weekend?

Ms. DeLAURO. Through the weekend. And a final question. On which day do you expect the broadband legislation to come to the floor of the House?

Ms. DeLAURO. And if we continue on, is that an indication that we would try to finish before the end of the weekend, or stay until we are finished with business through some time next weekend or the following week?

Ms. DeLAURO. Can we qualify it further?

Ms. DeLAURO. So we do not believe it will be ready for next week.

Ms. DeLAURO. I yield to the gentleman.

Ms. DeLAURO. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, if I might ask the gentleman one or two questions about the schedule for next week. And I thank the gentle woman for yielding. Do we anticipate that election reform legislation would be coming to the floor next week?

Ms. DeLAURO. I do continue to yield.

Ms. DeLAURO. I understand. So it will not be Tuesday night.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule. The Republican majority is blocking consideration of a series of amendments that would provide for increased domestic security at our ports, at our nuclear plants, for our public health system, for increased capacity with the FBI, the lead agency to hunt down terrorists. We could be taking steps to reduce the likelihood, better prepare for the possibility of a bioterrorist attack, and we could have made good on our word to help New York recover from the worst attack on American soil in this Nation's history. It is not just enough to go and take photographs at Ground Zero, promise people money that you are going to help individuals and businesses, and then pull the rug out from under them. The amendments would help to secure the safety of our food supply, increasing inspections of imported food from today's level of less than 1 percent to 10 percent of all the food imports that enter into our country. We could have helped the Centers for Disease Control to provide scientists with the kinds of help they need to protect Americans from infectious diseases, and that they do not have to work in laboratories with rotting floors and roofs. We could do something to protect our domestic defense and security today. Let us oppose this rule.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, a quote from the New Haven Register, my hometown paper, dated yesterday, ``Hate Crimes Are a Local Danger.'' What it does is cites three recent reports that were conducted in the State of Connecticut: one by the Anti-Defamation League which says in recent years Connecticut has experienced a breadth and scope of extremist activity disproportionate to its small size. This is an alarming report if added to that is a State police analysis showing that reported hate crimes in Connecticut increased by almost 20 percent from 1998 to 1999. Add to that the chief State's attorney's recent report that says that since September 11 and the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., that there have been 13 hate crimes reported since that day, mostly aimed at American citizens merely on the grounds that they were of Arab extraction or of the Muslim faith. This reemphasizes the need for religious, cultural and educational institutions of Connecticut to continue promoting understanding. Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity at the Federal level to pass a bill, the Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2001, that would help local law enforcement officials deal with hate crimes. We must do it nationally, and we must do it for our local communities.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I believe that every single Member, and if not every single Member, almost every Member of this body went to visit Ground Zero. We stood there with our hard hats, maybe some were photographed. We were in shock and disbelief. We pledged our support to New York. We said we felt New York's pain and that we would make good. Feeling New York's pain and not doing what we need to do about it, which is what this administration has done, is a classic bait and switch. At Ground Zero, surrounded by firefighters and police officers, the President promised to make funding available to assist families, workers, and businesses whose lives were permanently damaged by the events of September 11. This amendment would return funding back to State unemployment and health programs that was taken away in a disingenuous effort to help New York in its greatest hour of need. I sat in a room with the members of the Committee on Appropriations, along with New York, along with Connecticut and New Jersey and Pennsylvania, to talk about how in fact we were united in helping the New York situation and the individuals who lost everything on September 11. We pledged to work at that. So this is not directed at my colleagues in New York, to take their money away. This is a sham, what has been done here tonight. What we find out is that the money comes out of funds that were supposed to go to the other 49 States. I will tell the Members, this is nothing new, because in the economic stimulus package that was proposed by the majority, the health care money that is proposed to go to people who are unemployed and who have lost their health care benefits, that money is coming from the Children's Health Insurance Program, Mr. Chairman. We are taking children's health insurance money from the States; and we are saying, take that money and pay for the health care of workers who are out of work. Mr. Chairman, this is another bait and switch, nothing new by this majority. These funds would have helped American families hit by the post-September 11 recession, helped to restore them some security they have lost. It comes out of unemployment; it comes out of health care. We are charged with the responsibility to help each and every American, to heal the wounds of September 11 and return security to all parts of their lives. We must rebuild the confidence of the American people. Together, we are obligated to make this happen. We provided today that opportunity not to make this happen. We said, take the money from all 49 States and give it to New York, and the rest, go figure it out. Mr. Chairman, I ask Members to support this amendment and please turn this sham around.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fifth annual Westfield Works Wonders event which is being celebrated in shopping malls across the nation. Over the last five years, this wonderful charity event has raised millions of dollars for national and local non-profits and charities. First implemented in Connecticut in 1997, the Westfield Works Wonders program began as a project to benefit local non-profits and charities. In just three years, the event achieved outstanding results raising upwards of one million dollars and attracting more than 120,000 shoppers to the four centers in Connecticut. Due to its local success in Connecticut, Westfield Wonder Works was rolled out as a national program in 1999. In its two-year national history, malls across the nation have raised almost three million dollars in contributions for thousands of non-profits and charities. The simplicity of the program is one of its greatest benefits. Westfield Works Wonders is a one-day three hour event held in November when shoppers are ready to begin their holiday shopping. For a five dollar donation, shoppers enjoy a private evening at Westfield Shoppingtowns with special discounts, instore promotions, prize giveaways, entertainment, celebrity appearances, free photos with Santa, and more. All ticket proceeds are donated directly to participating organizations. In Connecticut alone, over sixty non- profits and charities will receive invaluable funding. It is important to recognize the dreams and wishes that are made a reality by this special event. The money raised helps thousands of children and families receive much needed services. Hospitals, schools and a variety of national and local charities all benefit from the generosity of the over half a million people who attend this event nationwide. With a small donation, people can make a real difference in the lives of many. I am proud to stand today to recognize the tremendous contribution Westfield Shoppingtowns are making to communities across the nation. I am honored to take this opportunity to extend my thanks and appreciation to all of those--from Westfield America to the thousands of retail employees--who make this evening possible. Your efforts are truly inspiring.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to pay tribute to Sergeant Joseph Buonome who recently retired from the East Haven Police Department after three decades of dedicated service. Sergeant Buonome led an exemplary career and has left a legacy that will not soon be forgotten. Joining the East Haven Police Department as an Auxiliary Officer nearly thirty years ago, Sergeant Buonome was soon sworn in as a full time officer. Appointed Court Liaison and Police Spokesperson ten years ago, Sergeant Buonome played an integral role in maintaining the Department's relationship with the local community. Throughout the course of his career, he also took on the duties of Hostage Negotiator, Supply Officer and Airport Liaison. His outstanding service has been recognized with more than ten Commendations and two Citations for performing above and beyond the call of duty--a reflection of his unwavering commitment to serve and protect the residents of East Haven. Sergeant Buonome has certainly been a hero to our community. Sergeant Buonome's compassion and generosity extends well beyond his professional career. As a member, Secretary, Vice-President and President for the Police Union Local 1662, he worked hard to ensure the safety and security of his fellow officers and their families. Sergeant Buonome has also served as the Vice President of the Connecticut Police Association as well as Vice President and President of the Order of Centurions devoting countless hours to these fine organizations. Dedicated to enriching his community, he has also served as Co-Chairman for many charitable events. His commitment to the East Haven community, professional and otherwise, is unquestionable and he has made a real difference in the lives of many. Too often we take for granted the role of our law enforcement officers; men and women who face risks few of us can truly comprehend. Each day, they must be ready to perform under intense pressure-- literally in life or death situations. It is an honor for me to stand today to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to Sergeant Joseph Buonome for his outstanding service to the Town of East Haven and to extend my very best wishes to him and his wife, Barbara; daughter, Cheryl and her husband, Michael-, and his grandchildren, Gabrielle and Christopher as they celebrate his retirement.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, just last week an individual breached several security checkpoints at Chicago's O'Hare Airport with six knives, a stun gun and a can of mace. How many more examples like this will be reported in the press before we pass comprehensive airline security legislation making the security of the flying public a function of Federal law enforcement. Why not? As the aviation security conferees meet to work out an agreement, I urge them to adopt the Senate bill. It passed 100 to 0, and it makes airline security the function of Federal, professionally- trained law enforcement officials. The Border Patrol, FBI, INS and Customs Service are all Federal agencies that exist to protect the public. Capitol Police are Federal employees. They protect all of us. Why should we settle for anything less for the traveling public? Aviation security is national security. It should not be left to private companies who contract with the lowest bidder who have been in violation of law. As we quickly approach Thanksgiving, the busiest travel time of the year, let us do the right thing. Let us pass an airline security bill that makes airport security a critical component of our national security and a function of Federal law enforcement.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for yielding me the time, and I rise in strong support of this conference report. It addresses the many and often competing priorities of agriculture, health and nutrition; and I want to say thanks to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), the chairman; and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member, for their leadership, and the subcommittee and associate staff for their hard work. Connecticut is a leader in New England's agriculture, in eggs, peaches, milk production per cow. Like other farmers, Connecticut farmers are facing the toughest times since the Great Depression: plunging commodity prices, urban sprawl which puts it in the top 10 States in lost farm land. This spring, record low temperatures eliminated almost 40 percent of our peach and pear crops. I am proud of the funding for programs that reach out and help our farmers: rural development, conservation, pest management, and commodity marketing assistance. I am also proud of the extension of dairy price supports through May 31, 2002. This program is an essential safety net for Connecticut's dairy farmers, all the more so since reauthorization of the Northeast Dairy Compact has not happened yet. The compact is vital to the very existence of Connecticut's 228 dairy farms, each one a small family farm, and their way of life. In 2000, it returned $4.8 million in income back to these dairy farms. This is an average of $21,000 per farmer. Congress must address this issue. Without the compact, New England's farms are lost. The conference report also funds coverage for more than 7.5 million WIC participants. I cannot emphasize enough how important WIC is in addressing the economic problems that this country faces. As unemployment increases, so does the number of families eligible for WIC. This essential nutrition, which currently serves approximately 47 percent of all infants born in the United States, provides low-income mothers and their children with nutritious supplemental food packages, nutrition education and counseling and a gateway to pre- and post-natal health care. WIC does more than help families get through tough times. It contributes to better birth outcomes and reductions in childhood anemia. This bill also funds safety efforts, but we do need to do more to protect American families from potential bioterrorist threats. Each year, 5,000 Americans die from food-borne illnesses; 76 million get ill, and 325,000 are hospitalized. FDA inspects all types of food except meat, poultry and eggs. Yet, to cover the 37,000 companies that make this food, the FDA has only 400 inspectors. For the 4.1 million imported food items, the FDA has less than 120 inspectors. These inspectors can barely cover 1 percent of the food coming into the country. In today's times, this is a crisis waiting to happen unless we do something. I also want to work through the supplemental funding process to provide assistance to America's apple farmers. There are apple farmers in the State of Connecticut and the plunging market prices for apples are destroying the years of hard work put in by these dedicated men and women. We must be there for them. Once again, I am proud of the work of the conference committee. I am proud to serve on the agriculture appropriations subcommittee. My thanks to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla) and to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for their leadership throughout the year in support of America's farmers and America's families.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, 7 weeks since the tragedy of September 11, 3 weeks since the Senate passed an airline security bill by a vote of 100 to zero. The delay in bringing this bill to the floor until now has put tens of thousands of American travelers at risk. That is wrong. Security lapses at airports across the country continue. Screeners that were at the gates before September 11 are there now, with no additional training and the same poor industry standards. It is wrong. Our current airline security system is an outrage. It is a profit- driven industry carried out by the lowest bidder. It has contributed to a workforce that suffers from high turnover, low pay, and low morale, and that is wrong. Baggage screeners should be a highly skilled, highly trained workforce that serves the frontline for our Nation's defense. Aviation security should be a function of Federal, professionally trained law enforcement officials. Border Patrol, FBI, INS and Customs Service are all Federal agencies that protect the public. The traveling public deserves the same protection. That is the right thing to do. Let us not let the innocent people on those American and United flights, along with the thousands of others that perished on the ground, die in vain. Let us do the right thing. Pass an airline security bill that tells the American people that we consider airport security a critical component of our national security. Vote for the Democratic substitute.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for the motion to instruct and I rise in strong support of this motion. This motion would add vital funds to international aid programs that help both citizens of poor countries and it helps American farmers. Now, more than ever, since the attack of September 11, we must fund these programs at the highest levels possible. In the last 50 years almost 400 million people worldwide have died from hunger and from being poor. That is three times the number of people killed in all wars fought in the 20th century. Today almost 800 million people, about one-sixth of the population of the world's developing countries, do not have enough food. Two hundred million are children. U.S. food aid is essential in fighting world hunger. It has been instrumental in averting a famine in the Horn of Africa. It has helped redevelop Bosnia's agricultural sector and feed more than 50,000 children in Haitian schools and hospitals. Food aid empowers people, families, communities. It enables them to break out of a cycle of hunger and poverty and return to lives of dignity. On a broader scale, food aid helps countries improve their people's health, their incomes, and their living conditions. It helps them progress forward as a nation. And at the same time, the food aid helps our farmers across agricultural sectors, wheat, soybeans, rice, peas, milk to name a few; in one of the darkest times of our agricultural history. It has helped them to sell more of their products and keep their farms and their families secure. At a time when family farms are struggling day-to-day for existence, international food aid offers them hope. After the tragic events of September 11, more than ever the United States needs to reach out to our neighbors. Our core principles of justice, liberty and opportunity are what makes this Nation strong. We must continue to live by them and promote them. We must continue to provide assistance, support developing nations. We must let these countries know that despite the unspeakable act of terror against our Nation, we will continue to stand strong with them in their fight to improve the lives of their citizens.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the Democrats put together an economic recovery plan to meet the obligation of this Nation, and that is to rebuild, to rebuild where the terrorists attacked, to rebuild our economy that was falling into recession before the attack on September 11. Our goals help those workers and those industries who have been hurt and who face great financial and health care needs. Rebuild confidence that America is strong economically. Stimulate the economy to increase economic activity and employment. We must act in the Nation's interests, not in the interests of any who would opportunistically take advantage of this moment. We must not endanger the long-term economic health of this country. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal headlined, ``Companies could reap big tax refunds from the House bill.'' What companies? IBM, Chevron, Enron. In today's Washington Post, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) only quoted selectively from it, the alternative minimum tax which Republicans would repeal was put in place so that profitable companies would have to pay some amount, no matter how clever its tax attorneys might be. This is mainly the use of a current crisis to further an agenda that has little to do with the crisis and long predated it. To my friends, I would say there is no other word for the Republican economic package than greed. It is, in fact, an unpatriotic grab on the public Treasury.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding member of the New Haven, Connecticut community and my dear friend, Jerry Poole. Jerry was recently honored here in Washington by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation with the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership. Dorothy Richardson emerged as a community resident leader in the mid- 1960s in response to an urban renewal effort that threatened her neighborhood. Her diligent work with lenders city officials, foundation heads, community organizers, and her neighbors served as the vehicle to improve her neighborhood's housing stock. She later founded the first Neighborhood Housing Service in Pittsburgh and served as a model for the development of NHS partnerships across the nation. Each year the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation honors individuals who reflect the character and spirit of Dorothy Richardson. Jerry is one of only nine selected from thousands of volunteers in the 1,800 communities across the country served by the NeighborWorks network of nonprofit organizations for this prestigious national recognition. Jerry has been the Executive Director of New Haven's Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America for the last fifteen years. He has dedicated his professional career to ensuring that the unemployed find work. His incredible dedication has opened up employment opportunities for thousands throughout Greater New Haven. In addition to his professional career, Jerry has spent innumerable hours working with his neighbors and community leaders to change the face of the West River neighborhood--giving residents a renewed sense of pride and hope in this community. A dynamic neighborhood leader, Jerry's vision and tenacity has not only made a real difference in the West River Neighborhood but across the State of Connecticut. It was only eight short years ago that he joined the West River Neighborhood Association, a group of residents dedicated to improving their community. When they first started, the Association was a group of neighbors who met regularly at each others homes and never had much more than one hundred dollars in their checking account. Based on Jerry's simple belief that residents should give ten percent of their time to their neighbors, the group developed a strategic plan that is now coming to fruition. Under his leadership, the West River Neighborhood Association focused their attention on an ambitious plan. Partnering with the City of New Haven and the Mutual Housing Association of Southern Connecticut, the group worked hard on plans for the West River Memorial Park and to rehabilitate housing along George Street--a section of their neighborhood that had lacked attention for years. I had the opportunity to work closely with Jerry and his group to bring federal funding to the West River Memorial Park project and earlier this year, the West River neighborhood Association joined Mutual housing in breaking ground on a $1.3 million rehabilitation project on blighted properties. The commitment and dedication Jerry has shown to our community and to the State of Connecticut is unquestionable. His advocacy and strong voice have gone a long way in enriching the lives of his neighbors and their families. I am honored to stand today to join with his wife, Joyce, daughter, Summerleigh, family, friends, and the New Haven community in congratulating Jerry Poole on this very special occasion.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sadness, in a time of national sadness, to pay tribute to an extraordinary man. Dr. Donald Cohen was a friend of the New Haven community and friend of mine. He left an indelible mark on all he touched and a legacy that will touch many he never knew. For almost thirty years, he brought an unparalleled dedication to the Yale School of Medicine. Most recently he served as the Chairman of Child Psychiatry at the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital and was the Sterling Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology in the Yale School of Medicine. Donald has been the Director of the Yale Child Study Center, internationally renowned for its multi-disciplinary programs and advocacy for children and families, for nearly two decades. Under his leadership, the Center has grown to be one of the most respected research and development institutions in the world. Within the Center, Donald also founded the very successful Yale-New Haven Child Development Community Policing Program which helped teach law enforcement officers how to respond to children and families. The program has since been duplicated in communities throughout the country. In a letter I recently received from Donald, he wrote, ``the Child Study Center has been at the core of my intellectual and personal development. All of my work has been nourished by relationships that are based here . . . the coming together of so many wonderful people who gathered around the visions of the future directions and potentials of our field.'' Donald dedicated his career to helping children with very special needs. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his work in urban child development and the impact of violence and trauma on children and families. However, it was his clinical and research activities which focused on the developmental psychopathology of serious childhood neuropsychiatric disorders including pervasive developmental and tic disorders and autism that were closest to his heart. It was here that he truly wanted to make a difference. Over the last several years, I worked on so many projects with the Yale Child Study Center, and almost always worked closely with Donald. Since our first meeting, I was in awe of his tireless efforts and dedication--especially to his research on autism. It was only this past week that I received the news that he would be honored next month at the International Meeting for Autism Research with the Lifetime Award for Research in Autism. In his letter, he described this occasion as ``particularly special . . . because they bring together what I have most cherished what I have most cherished about my life as a scholar and a clinician--the opportunity to be a part of family's lives and the lives of students and colleagues working together to improve our understanding of the most enduring questions of human development.'' I stand today to pay tribute to a great man and to extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Phyllis, his four children and their families, and his mother Rose. A tireless advocate and a dear friend, Dr. Donald Cohen was an inspiring leader and his legacy will forever live in the hearts of the many lives he has touched.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I did not speak to the discussion of the point of order, and I commend my colleagues who did get up and speak for so doing. We did know what the ruling was going to be, but nevertheless, the discussion was critically important. To think that a dairy compact could not be discussed in the context of this bill really has no description. I think we understand why this came about, and it really is discouraging in the sense that this is the people's House. As far as I understand, dairy farmers around the country make up the population of the United States. They are the people and they ought to have an opportunity to have their interests, their concerns, their frustrations, their livelihood, their economics discussed in this body. In terms of my own State of Connecticut, this compact is vital. It is vital to the existence of our dairy farms, each one of them a small family farm. And, like others who have spoken here this afternoon, this is vital to a way of life that is being jeopardized. The compact serves as a safety net for these dairy farmers by maintaining stable milk prices for them over the course of a year. In the year 2000, it returned $4.8 million in income back to Connecticut's farmers. This is an average of about $21,000 per farmer. These dollars are helped to reverse a serious, long-term trend in my State: the loss of family farms. Since the compact, there has been no overproduction in New England. In fact, there has been a decrease in milk production, whereas other parts of the country have witnessed dramatic increases. Over 99 percent of CCC purchases of surplus dairy products came from the Midwest and the West. The compact costs the taxpayer nothing, as my colleagues have pointed out. Payments come from the milk market and are only made to farmers when the compact commission price is below the Federal milk marketing price. So, in most months, farmers do not receive compact payments. I would just say to my colleagues, it is truly unfortunate when, in this body, we cannot discuss an issue that is of grave concern to farmers in this country. The dairy farmers are part of this effort. We have today excluded them from the opportunity to have their economic crisis defended when just about every other economic crisis of any group in this Nation gets a hearing, gets time on the floor, and gets substantial quantities of money to make themselves whole. Shame on this House for ignoring this country's dairy farmers.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Sanders amendment, and I wanted to congratulate the gentleman from Vermont for really making a breakthrough here on an issue that has been divisive and to say also to the gentleman from Wisconsin, on this issue, if the folks from Vermont and Wisconsin can get together on this effort, we really do have what we have been trying to talk about and create an effort here that does the best for the people in this country and in this instance to the dairy farmers of this country. The gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson) spoke a minute ago; and we do have dairy farms, albeit not as many as other people in this body have, but I think she was absolutely correct in saying that their livelihood, their ability to succeed equals that ability to succeed of dairy farmers all over this great country of ours. That is what this amendment is all about. This is meant to enhance the income of all dairy farmers, no matter where they come from. It is a voluntary program. There are no mandates here. It costs the taxpayer nothing. It would be administered through regional boards; it would distribute the funds to the dairy farmers that are in need of them. It deals in many ways with the complexity of trying to look at the price differentials, and that is critical. Is it all ironed out? No. But it is such a very good start to something that has been such a divisive issue in this body. It brings benefits, yes, to the Northeast and to my dairy farmers, and it brings that kind of success that we had with that Northeast dairy compact to the rest of the dairy farmers around the country. It preserves small dairy farmers all over the country; it allows them to do what they want to do and that is to pass their farms on to the next generation. It is a good amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise with troubled conscience, to vote for the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Bill. The events of September 11, 2001 marked one of the darkest moments in our country's history. On that day, terrorists struck at the heart of our social and economic fabric and the ripple effects of this tragedy are still being felt. In particular, the airline industry was severely impacted, resulting in tremendous economic hardship for the carriers, the people who work for them and the travel industry as a whole. This bill will allow the airlines to continue flying; provide for the security of our airports and airways; and grant critical compensation to the families of victims of last week's heinous and barbaric attack. For these reasons, I hesitate to vote no. Nonetheless, the bill does little for more than a hundred-thousand workers laid off as a result of this tragedy, nor does it help the employees in associated industries, such as engine and parts manufacturers, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, limousines and rental car services, and all the others now facing lay-offs. I have serious reservations that if these concerns are not addressed in concert with this legislation, millions of laid-off workers and their families will be left behind with no guarantee that they will retain their unemployment benefits, health care benefits or receive any re- training opportunities. The security provisions in this bill do not go far enough. The airline industry has repeatedly fought the government tooth and nail over increased airline and airport security measures and efforts to improve customer service. We cannot afford for them to fail, but they deserve a stern warning, not just a check. I had sincerely hoped that last week's tragic events would have brought this Congress together in a bipartisan fashion to help everyone facing economic hardship. I look forward to legislation next week that brings relief and protection to those already unemployed and to the thousands of additional workers whose jobs are in jeopardy.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise with a troubled conscience to address the rule before this body. September 11 marked one of the darkest moments in our country's history. On that day, terrorists struck at the heart of our social and economic fabric, and the ripple effects of this tragedy are still being felt. In particular, the airline industry was severely impacted, resulting in tremendous economic hardship for the carriers, the people who work for them, and the travel industry as a whole. This bill will allow the airlines to continue flying, provide some security for our airports and airways, and grant critical compensation to the families of victims of last week's barbaric attack. For those reasons, I hesitate to vote ``no.'' Nonetheless, the bill does little for more than the 100,000 workers laid off as a result of this tragedy. Millions of laid-off workers and their families will be left behind with no guarantee they will retain their unemployment benefits. The security provisions do not go far enough. The airline industry has fought the government tooth and nail over increased airline safety. We cannot afford for the airline industries to fail; but they deserve a stern warning, not just a check. That is why I will vote ``no'' on the rule.